Years from now when historians look back on this year’s election, many in Richmond County are hoping it will be one worth more than an obscure footnote.

“I think it is important in a very basic sense,” said Mallory Millender, a retired Paine College professor and a longtime observer of Augusta politics.

“There has been an historically strained relationship with law enforcement and the black community,” Millender said. “With a black sheriff, the black community will be looking forward to getting justice – from the way they are treated on a day-to-day basis all the way to the top of the department.”

Millender explained that he doesn’t mean that previous sheriffs – including Sheriff Ronnie Strength – have intentionally been unfair to black residents. But it isn’t about good intentions, he said.

“I’m talking about a different level of understanding,” he said, explaining that black residents expect Roundtree’s life experience would inform his decisions as sheriff. People’s expectations will be higher, he said.

“They are not looking for there to be unfairness against white people,” Millender said. “People expect a kind of justice that transcends that of previous sheriffs.”

Millender said that if Roundtree wins, he will be watched closely for missteps and mistakes.

“He should be scrutinized,” Mil­len­der said. “All (sheriffs) should be scrutinized.”

Roscoe Williams, a retired dean of students at Augusta State University, agreed that Roundtree’s actions as the first black sheriff will attract critical attention, but he’s not concerned.

“I think he will be as just as adamant about providing law and order as a sheriff as anyone, even more so,” Williams said. “I think he has been there and he has seen how devastating it can be when disorder begins to rule the day and he won’t let that occur.”

Williams said he thinks both Roundtree and Sanders have the qualifications and experience to do the job, and whoever is elected will serve the county well, “if they do what they say they will do.”

But if Roundtree becomes sheriff, Williams said he will need to make an immediate effort to demonstrate his fairness and leadership to all his constituents. If he does that, Williams said, in time, even his critics will come to respect him.

Retired ASU professor Ralph Walker said the outcome of Tuesday’s election is anything but certain. However, because he is a black Democrat in a majority black county, Walker said Roundtree has the inside track at winning on Tuesday.

“I think Freddie Sanders has a shot, but I know how difficult it is for a Republican to win a countywide office in Richmond County,” he said.

Walker said the fact that Presi­dent Obama is up for re-election will help Roundtree greatly, as it will all Democrats on the ballot by attracting more voters who lean that way to the polls. Although former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney should win in Georgia, Walker fully expects Obama to carry Richmond County easily – as he did in 2008 – and also help carry other Democrats to victory in local contests.

Millender said watching the Roundtree campaign also reminds him of another historic election, the 1981 victory of Ed McIntyre, who became Augusta’s first black mayor.

“That was a terribly, terribly important moment,” Millender said

McIntyre, a former county commissioner, only held office a little more than two years because he was convicted of bribery and extortion during his tenure as mayor. He served a year and two months in federal prison.

Millender said Roundtree must guard against even the appearance of any impropriety and demonstrate exemplary leadership, should he take office. He should also surround himself with trusted advisers, people who understand his vision for the department, he said.

“I think he would get in and immediately do an audit and do everything else he can to cover his bases so he can’t be blamed for something that happened before he got there,” he said. “The hope that the community placed in McIntyre is being placed in Roundtree. [McIntyre] turned out to be a huge disappointment.”

Millender said no one wants that episode of Augusta history to repeat itself.

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Wow!!!! Who cares. We all know he will win this and yes we all know why. So who cares!!!!! I sure do not. Thank goodness I live in the great CC and do not have to ne bothered my a man like him. Absolutely in experienced as they come but who cares. Its the color that makes all the differece in the world.. Thank you and have a great day

And with this article telling all that bs he will really be sure to win without a doubt.. I mean history wow people. Look Obama made it too as the first MIXED president. And what has he done but caused grief all over the world.. GO FIGURE

Don't waste this chance to bring south Augusta back from the brink of neverland.....Freddie can help get the resources to put in places that have needed the help for years.......he won't be a token player for the BIG PLAYERS downtown....that is the elephant in the room.....don't get fooled by talk about history making ----the first anything----
Some don't want a wise man calling the shots....or calling THEM out.....he knows the players----he knows the law-----he can & will make a difference....YOU NEED MONEY to make it work....for too long the table has been tilted in the wrong direction....& I know YOU KNOW what I'm talking about!

we need a representative (sheriff for example) from each "culture". Only those form a culture can understand that culture.

If we use ARC extrapolation, we need a white, a black, an Asian, a Hispanic ( Latin or Not Latin), a Pacific Islander, etc. ( as per the census categories ) and females of each, all with the powers of the Sheriff Office.

This would therefore need to be applied to all government jobs that interface with diverse cultures. A duplicitous menagerie of office holders representing only minority interest.

Well if the rape victim has abortion, then Murdoch, a Romney endorsee, would make that illegal. Same as Akin. This telayes to yoir comment regarding Roundtree and why women would support him. Why would any Women be a Republican with a platform to criminalize rape victims?

As a victim of crime in Richmond County and in my dealing with the Richmond County Sheriff's Department, all I can say is that the Sheriff's Department is so pathetic that I seriously doubt who the Sheriff is is going to make any difference at all.
That's why I live in Columbia County.

if roundtree gets elected it will be open season on all law-abiding citizens of richmond county. roundtree has already stated he believes in "other means" to punish criminals. so all of the "dregs" of society waiting on their checks while selling drugs and robbing and raping will get a "stern" lecture and "finger-wagging" then let go to committ more crimes. it wouldn't suprise me if he will try to close all the jails in the county

RM has often posited that a black chief LEO in ARC would be a good thing in terms of building trust and relating to the culture of the majority.

I agree 100%, but Roundtree ain't that guy. He has so much overweight baggage that the airlines would refuse him a ticket. Bring in a guy like Rueben Greenberg(Charleston), and I would go to Richmond County to campaign for him. The second largest city in Georgia needs an effective, qualified top dog, not a token. I'm not a resident of RC, but with Augusta being the anchor/hub of the CSRA, it is all of our interests for Augusta to thrive.